A night of honors

Chamber gives yearly awards at its annual soiree

Doctors Kevin Caldwell and Donna Sund were honored as Business Leaders of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce. Del Norte Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

The Del Norte Pride Award that honors efforts to improve the community’s appearance was presented by the Triplicate and the Chamber to the city of Crescent City for its efforts in taking down the rotting Tsunami Landing covered pedestrian walkway and sprucing up downtown’s fountain plaza.

Doctors Kevin Caldwell and Donna Sund, who have run their own practice in Crescent City for more than 20 years, were named the business leaders of the year.

The lifetime achievement award went to Ston Yackamouih and posthumously to his longtime business partner, Thomas Nichols, who operated Enderts Drugs and later Medicine Shoppe for many decades.

And Dennis Winstead, a fixture at the visitor center and lead ambassador, was honored as the Chamber’s volunteer of the year.

Mary Foote took over as Chamber president, replacing Lisa McKeown, and members of the organization’s 2012 Board of Directors were introduced.

McKeown presented a plaque of appreciation to Ernie Perry, Everett Young and Kirk Brown of the Crescent City Car Club for partnering with the Chamber over the last 20 years to organize the annual Sea Cruise car show.

Removing Tsunami Landing

In presenting the Del Norte Pride Award, Triplicate Editor Richard Wiens first noted the efforts of Rural Human Services, which obtained a grant to hire more than 200 workers who completed many beautification projects around the community and in the harbor after the March tsunami.

“In the short term, nothing can really top what the Tsunami Work Crews did,” Wiens said. “But tonight we honor another organization, one that in 2011 gave Crescent City a gift that will keep on giving.”

The city’s removal of the decrepit Tsunami Landing covered walkway improved the appearance of downtown and gave new visibility to the fountain plaza as a community gathering place that was recently the scene of several successful holiday events, Wiens said.

 “Downtown has a more inviting appearance, and a rejuvenated public plaza that will serve us all for years to come,” Wiens said in presenting the award to Mayor Kathryn Murray and City Manager Eugene Palazzo. Murray said all the credit should go to city employees.

Doctoring up Del Norte

Doctors Sund and Caldwell were honored as Business Leaders of the Year not only for their successful longtime practice, but for their numerous philanthropic efforts.

“The community has benefitted from the time each of them has donated over the many years,” said accountant and community business leader Kevin Hartwick in making the presentation.

He cited their efforts on the part of Del Norte youths in establishing scholarships and mentoring programs and leading tours of college campuses that “have opened the door to higher education and made the transition feasible for many who would have never had the chance to see what was really possible.”

Sund helped found the Rotoract Club, the young adult branch of the Rotary, and is a director of the Family Resource Center.

“Personally, Donna Sund has been a major influence in my daughters’ lives,” Hartwick said. “They started dancing with Donna soon after they could walk, and as late as last week, they were still tap-dancing with Donna when they were home for winter break at age 22 and 25. The difference today is they are sharing wine with their instructor and not milk and cookies.”

Meanwhile, her husband “has been the backbone of many organizations and institutions,” Hartwick said. Caldwell is a founding member of the Wild Rivers Community Foundation and is chief of staff at Sutter Coast Hospital. He serves on the Del Norte Health District Board and has accepted a position on the Humboldt Area Foundation Board of Directors.

“If there is a benefit, a fundraiser, a community performance or providing free physicals to the local sports teams, you can almost count on the fact the Caldwell-Sund names will be associated with it,” Hartwick said.

In accepting the award, Sund said she has especially enjoyed working with Del Norte youths, while Caldwell said the couple’s community efforts over the years stem from the fact that “we knew we were going to be here forever, and we weren’t going anywhere. I love this community and I’ll never leave.”

Pharmaceutical partnership

Hartwick also presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Yackamouih and, posthumously, Nichols, who died last November.

“Our winners were business partners for almost 50 years serving the health needs of Del Norte County through their work as local pharmacists and business owners,” Hartwick said. “Many of you remember their days owning Enderts Drug Store in Crescent City, which later became known as the local Medicine Shoppe.”

Hartwick cited their ability to take over a business “that originated in the early 20th century” and thrive by “adapting and changing their business model.”

“They were able to stay in business and successfully compete with the largest of retail giants for almost 50 years” before retiring in 2008,” Hartwick said.

Beyond the business, Nichols was “a driving force behind the Rotary Club’s student exchange program,” Hartwick said, as well as a leader of the Elks Club, a School Board member and a fire commissioner.

Yackamouih, meanwhile, served on the City Council and was a member of the Jaycees and Elks.

“When square dancing was popular in town, you could always see Ston and (his wife) Jerri dancing in such events as the Fourth of July Parade,” Hartwick said.

In the most emotional moment of the evening, Yackamouih and Nichol’s widow, Carol, accepted the awards, and Yackamouih paid tribute to his late partner.

“Tom,” he said, “this is for us.”

Update on Chamber goals

Chamber Executive Director Gina Zottola presented the Volunteer of the Year Award to Dennis Winstead, who she said in just two years has “made a huge impact and contribution not only to the Visitors Center but to the Chamber as well,” since he serves as the lead ambassador.

Winstead came to Del Norte from Florida, where he also won a Volunteer of the Year award. Zottola said Winstead loves the North Coast for “the hellos you get by random people on the street, the close-knit community we have and the beauty that surrounds us.”

Before turning the Chamber presidency over to Foote, McKeown gave a report on the state of the organization, which she noted was not immune to the continuing economic downturn regionally and nationally. Despite gaining 29 new members in 2011, the Chamber experienced an overall membership drop of 2 percent. Statewide, McKeown noted, the numbers were worse.

On a brighter note, she said the Chamber Ambassadors Program expanded from three to 14 people, and Linda Ging has taken over as chairwoman of the program.

Foote laid out five goals for 2012 that were established at a recent Chamber retreat:

• Government advocacy, including monitoring of election issues and the move for Del Norte education reform, as well the effort to establish an Interagency Visitors Center on U.S. Highway 101.

• Expanding the efforts of the enlarged Ambassadors Program.

• New efforts are planned to increase membership, including one that “may inspire a little healthy competition,” Foote said.

 • Improve the Chamber’s technological abilities. Now that a new website has been established, attention will turn to acquiring additional computer equipment.

• Maintain and improve the Chamber’s financial status, partly through the continued success of annual events such as the Fourth of July festivities and Sea Cruise.

The Chamber’s 2012 Board of Directors includes Lisa McKeown of State Farm Insurance; Brent Hoskinson of Edward Jones Investment; Mary Foote of Wild Rivers Community Foundation; Mike Sullivan of Del Norte County; Debi White of the Redwood Parks Association; Pat Bailey and James Ramsey of the harbor district; Matt Westbrook of Palmer Westbrook; John Menaugh; Chris Howard of Elk Valley Rancheria; Linda Ging; Cindy Vosburg of the Del Norte Triplicate; Don Olson of the Del Norte Unified School District; Kris Griffin of Coast Central Credit Union and Kathryn Murray of the city of Crescent City.